For me it was the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls. I looked at the pictures over and over and so wanted to get in the kitchen and try some of the recipes. Alas, I wasn’t allowed to do anything in the kitchen, so the book kind of became a fantasy sort of thing. It’s in perfect condition and has a home on my cookbook shelves.

Because I grew up with a working Mom, relatives gave me ideas for making meals for me and my siblings fairly early. It wasnt until my 30’s that I paid attention to. formal recipe books. I bought a copy of The Joy of Cooking and while I cant say I made many of the recipes I did get educated. Food shopping, buying spices and following a procedure made alot more sense. When my wife and I married, I regifted my copy to her. When our son moved out, my wife passed on the tradition. We shared the joy s…